Natural vinyl

Having impressed on its' CD release earlier in the year, Nicola Conte's collaboration with Italian singer Stefania Dipierro finally comes to vinyl. We're used to the veteran bossa-nova and jazz composer seemingly dropping albums at will, but Natural is undoubtedly a cut above some of his recent sets, thanks largely to the focus provided by Dipierro's breathy, sweet and atmospheric vocals. Delivered in a trio of languages (English, Italian and Portuguese), the singer's delivery sits somewhere between classic jazz and Astrud Gilberto, making it a perfect foil for Conte's jaunty, life-affirming instrumentation. As a result, Natural feels like a contemporary Brazilian classic - even if it was forged in Italy - and boasts all manner of bossa, samba and soul-jazz treats.